The 38th annual Winnipeg Invitational Basketball Tournament (W.I.T.) will takeplace at Tec Voc High School (1555 Wall Street) from January 16-19, 2013. The tournament will feature the top local varsity boys basketball
teams versus top teams in Manitoba. Tournament passes are $6 each and can be picked up at Tec Voc High School (786-1401). Follow all the game results in the Basketball Manitoba SCOREBOARD! For a preview of the tournament including the game schedule...
Winnipeg Invitational Tournament
The first four years of the event featured an American team and the tournament was actually known as the Winnipeg International Tournament. In addition to American teams, WIT now hosts teams from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. Over time, the Winnipeg School Division became less involved in the tournament and Tec Voc High School took it under its wing.
While there’s no questioning the caliber of basketball WIT has provided, equally impressive is the job Tec Voc has done in playing host to the event. The many students, teachers, and volunteers assist in putting on a spectacle that includes banners, photos, video, internet statistics, half time events, and so much more.
WIT 2013 - Ticket Information
Advanced Tickets: Tickets can be purchased in advance from Guidance Department, Stinger's Store, Mr. Lomas, Mr. Contreras, and in front of the office at lunch.
Tickets will also be available at the door.
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Tournament Schedule
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St. Paul’s Crusaders:
The St. Paul’s Crusaders are back at WIT for the third consecutive year. Two years ago they won the coveted WIT championship and last year they were finalists. Where will the Crusaders finish this year? Coach Jeff Laping has high expectations for this year’s team. With 2 starters and 5 players total returning you can understand why. Malik Irwin, Justus Allyen, and Billy Yaworski spent this past summer honing their skills playing for the silver medal winning Manitoba juvenile provincial team. They will look to use the experience they gained competing at such a high level this summer to help the Crusaders reach their potential. Justus Allyen at 6’1, is an athletic and quick point guard. He will control the game for the Crusaders at both ends of the court. Malik Irwin is an athletic slasher who can get to the rim with ease. He has the size and ability to play all five positions on the court for St. Paul’s. The Crusaders will look to use the ability of their strong guard play and consistent inside game to capture another WIT championship.
Sisler Spartans:
The Sisler Spartans, the self-proclaimed “most exciting team in Manitoba,” will once again bring their high-flying style of basketball to the Winnipeg Invitational Tournament. The Spartans will have a nice mix of inside talent and dynamic guard play this year and will be prepared to play any style of basketball that they face. The Spartans will lean heavily on the twin towers of Ketan Bansal and Tanner Smith in order to be successful at this year’s WIT. Ketan is a 6’3” post player that has the ability to finish at the rim at one end and protect it at the other. Tanner is a 6’5” rebounding machine. He has the highest rebounding average in school history. Tanner also has a nice offensive game and will help the Spartans at both ends of the court. In typical Sisler fashion look for exciting things out of their backcourt from the likes of grade 12 CJ Ordonez and grade 11 players Joseph Medrano and Denzel Soliven. Best of luck to the Sisler Spartans at this year’s WIT.
Kelvin Clippers:
The Kelvin Clippers bring a deep, talented team to this year’s WIT. They have the ability to go ten deep, which will be conducive to their uptempo offense and high pressure defense. Kelvin returns 2 starters and 4 players from a team that was highly successful last year. Add into the mix 8 players from their JV team that lost in the provincial final. Two of those players, Liam Haime and Justin Miranda, were provincial all stars. Other players to watch out for include Marco Valera, Ivan Paskvalin and Aiden Padgett-Reimer. Marco is an explosive 2 guard who is also the team’s best defender. He is one of the most exciting players in the province. Ivan started last year as a grade 10 and he spent this past summer on the Manitoba Provincial team. Ivan is an exceptional shooter and is also a very good defender. Aiden is a 6’6” center who has developed into a solid all-around post player for the Clippers giving them a nice inside presence to compliment their perimeter players. Coach Lamont has had great success steering the mighty Clippers. Is a WIT championship next? Good luck to the Kelvin Clippers.
Tec Voc Hornets:
The perennial crowd favorites, the Tec Voc Hornets, will look to surprise everyone by making a run at the WIT championship. The Hornets will be an exciting team this year with a nice mix of young players who have done a great job of contributing early and the 6 returning players who logged heavy minutes last year. The Hornets will be equipped to play any style of basketball they encounter during this year’s tournament. They have talented guards and athletic posts. They are able to score in transition or play in the half court. Defensively they will mix it up between man to man and zone. Occasionally they will extend their defense and go after teams in the full court. Players to watch for include Yeni Yeni, Riley Guinto , Sham Guirgis, and Arenz Tabianin. All four are in grade 12 and are looking to make some lasting memories of their time at WIT. Yeni is the team’s top defender. He is quick and physical, causing opposing player’s fits. He is also great in transition, creating opportunities for himself and others. Riley is a do-it-all guy for the Hornets. He can play all 5 positions with his skill and understanding of the game. He is a calming influence for Tec on the court. Sham is a tall, athletic post who can face the basket and attack the rim. He is a great rebounder and can start the break from the defensive glass. Arenz is the final Tabianin to play point guard for the mighty Hornets. He has become very good at controlling the pace of the game. He can get his own shot and make those around him better. With this hardworking fun bunch, look for the Hornets to entertain the fans at this year’s WIT.
Daniel Mac Maroons:
The DMCI Maroons return to WIT for the second consecutive year. Last year they lost in the consolation final. What will their result be this year? Coach Poppone’s team has one starter and three total players returning from last year’s team. Although they will be mostly grade 11’s they will be a hard working disciplined bunch. They will play as a strong team unit and try to out work their opponents. Two players to watch out for are Garnett McLeod, and Bruce Akubukaka. Both are in grade 11 but will play vital roles if the Maroons are to achieve success this year. Garnett McLeod is an athletic individual who brings it on both ends of the basketball court, he is averaging 15 points a game. Bruce Akubukaka is a good defender that brings a toughness that motivates the rest of the team. He is a very hard worker. Daniel Mac plays a full court disciplined game. Fans will be impressed by their tenacity and sportsmanship during this year’s WIT.
John Taylor
The John Taylor Pipers are back to make another run at the WIT Championship. Coming off a season of an impressive 26 wins and 5 losses, the Pipers have established a true basketball presence in the province. Placing second in the provincial finals, coach Kavadas intends to use experience and determination to return to the top spot and win the provincials this year. Entering the Winnipeg Invitational Tournament, the Pipers have the same mentality; which is to win. Leading this team is senior guard Kuet Kuet who is a 6’2 scorer. His overall strong basketball skills, and never quit attitude makes this young man a leader by example on this team. Along side Kuet, coach Kavadas looks to Dallas Murphy who is a grade 12 player with good court vision and soft hands for added scoring punch. Dallas and Kuet complement each other well and make the Pipers a tough match-up. With a young, up-and-coming team, look for the Pipers to be a dynamic group who will try to run the ball and maintain an up-tempo style of play.
MBCI
MBCI was last a participant in the Winnipeg Invitational Tournament back in 2010. This year the team looks to compete for the top spot in the tournament. With three promising prospects joining the team from JV, coach Opalko has worked towards putting together a hard working team with experience and talent. Last year both the JV and Varsity teams were provincially ranked, which gives them the experience for competing at a high level. At this year’s WIT, look for their grade 12 point guard Lance Dueck to distribute the ball and get players involved on both ends of the court. His quick thinking and ball handling makes the MBCI offense very dangerous. Shooting guard Sam Wolfram is another player on this team looking to make his mark in the tournament. Wolfram is a knock down shooter who can hit the mid range or the long ball but can also pass and handle the ball. Also look for the big Brendan Folkerts down in the post to clean up the boards for MBCI. According to coach Opalko, controlling the pace of the game, and pushing the ball in transition will be part of the game plan. They look to play a fast paced game and with their never quit defensive attitude, look for MBCI to be one competitive basketball team in this year’s Winnipeg Invitational Tournament.
Garden City
Once again the Winnipeg Invitational Tournament welcomes the Garden City Fighting Gophers to the Hornet Dome. After winning the WIT championship back in 2009 and again last year the Fighting Gophers will look to add another title to their trophy case. The Fighting Gophers have had success outside of WIT as well, as they are the defending provincial champs. Under the guidance and coaching of Phil Penner, the Garden City basketball program has become one of the top teams in the province. They have been in the MHSAA provincial championships 4 out of the last 5 years and captured 3 titles. They have been in the KPAC championship finals 8 times in the past 9 years and captured 7 titles. With an impressive winning record of 34 and 4 last year, the Garden City Gophers placed first in KPAC. The JV team achieved the same success, making this years Varsity team a powerhouse of well experienced players and skilled individuals who know what it takes to win championships. Within this team look for three seniors to make a solid impact at this years WIT. First is Josh Magapantay who is regarded as one of the top guards in the province. He handles the ball well, runs the offense and is a lights out shooter. Second is Tynan Reyes, a 6’6” big man who has a soft touch around the rim and dominates the boards. Third is Malik Coleman, who is a good mid range shooter, who works hard on both ends of the court but is more known for his defense and coverage of the opponent’s top player. Expect the Garden City Fighting Gophers to play tough but under control. They are a hard-working team that has a lot of depth.
Sturgeon Heights Huskies:
Perennial powerhouse Sturgeon Heights Huskies are back in the WIT basketball tournament looking to take home the championship. Sturgeon has finished third in WIT the past two tournaments. This year they have one starter and four players returning from last year’s team so coach Tackie’s expectations of improvement are warranted. The Huskies have a lot of offensive firepower and can stay in or blow open any game with their shooting. They have always been strong on the defensive end so this will be an exciting Huskies team to watch. Players to watch out for include Chris Demoleon-Bartalay, Nick Fletcher, and Ryan Rycroft. All three are in grade 12 and will be looked upon for their leadership to help the Huskies succeed. Chris is a 5’10 shooting guard who has the ability to create his own shot. He is also developing into a star on D. Nick is a 5’8 point guard who is very quick in the open floor and a very good defender. Ryan is a 6’2 small forward who is one of the teams better long range shooters. The huskies will be a team that will aggressively attack the basket with hoop cuts and drives. Once the returning players and newcomers mesh, look for the Huskies to be a handful for opposing teams. Will things play out perfectly at WIT? Can’t wait to find out.
Maples Marauders:
The Maples Marauders are returning to WIT after a brief absence from the tournament. They are always an exciting team to watch, led by head coach Scott Kirkpatrick. The Marauders have 6 players returning from last year’s squad that won 15 games in a very tough conference. Look for Maples to play an up tempo game looking to fast break at every opportunity. They also will use a variety of defensive systems to try and force their opponents to play a style and tempo they are not used to. Players to watch for include Jan Manibo, Matt Dunning, and Reymart Cruz. Jan is a grade 12 guard that is averaging 18 PPG. He is a terrific playmaker and scorer. He controls the tempo of the game on both offense and defense. He is a threat to create for others and can create his own shot. He can shoot the three making him a tough player to guard. Matt is a 6’1 grade 11 forward who is a versatile scorer. He can play inside and out making him a tough guard. He is a very good defensive rebounder and helps to start the Marauder fast break. Reymart is the team’s on and off the court leader. He never takes a play off, making him the heart of the team. He is Maples best on-the-ball defender and is fearless at both ends of the court. Look for the Marauders to use their hard working up-tempo style of play to take them to the WIT championship.
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